


The Courtship Of Rose Tyler

by Rachel_Lu



Series: The Long Game [2]
Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (1963), Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Courtship, F/M, Gallifrey, Gallifreyan, Getting Together, Marriage, Marriage Proposal, Old-Fashioned, Traditions, Wedding Fluff, Weddings, hand fastening
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-30
Updated: 2016-09-11
Packaged: 2018-08-11 22:42:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 14,948
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7910431
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rachel_Lu/pseuds/Rachel_Lu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sequel to "So We Play the Long Game", the Doctor begins his courtship to prepare to be married to Rose Tyler</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello friends! This is the first chapter of probably 4 or 5. 
> 
> Any Time Lord courting is stuff I made up, none of it is canon. Just my take on things the Doctor might do for Rose.
> 
> A user asked if we would have Mr. Taylor's comeuppance. Here it is :)
> 
> Wildly domestic, this story. Loads of fluff. Loads of it. Read with the caution: your teeth may rot.

Despite the passionate words of love they had shared, Rose found that things settled back into a sense of 'normal' very quickly.  Normal also consisted of hasty kisses and longer hugs and hugs from behind and overall Rose was very overwhelmed by all the attention.  No other man had every been so attentive, and she was afraid that it would all peter out once he'd courted her. 

She didn't even know what that meant.

Several days after their adventure, she woke up to a cold bed for the first time since they'd come home, and frowned down at the Doctor's pillow.  She got up and threw on her dressing gown, bright pink and falling to mid-thigh, and padded along the TARDIS corridors to find him.  

He was standing at the console, rocking back on his heels and seeming to be waiting for something.  Rose watched him carefully.  She took a step forward, her bare foot silent on the metal grating, but she had a feeling that his superior Time Lord self had heard her, so she called out to him.

"Doctor?"

He said nothing in response, only held his hand out of her.  She scurried forward and laced their fingers together and laid her head on his shoulder.  His thumb stroked over hers absently and she shifted her cheek against the fabric of his dress shirt. He'd foregone his jacket on the jump seat. 

"Are you okay?" She whispered.

"I'm about to have a confrontation," he whispered back, as though sensing the mood she had set.  

She smiled a little at that. "Who are you confronting then, Doctor?"

"Mr. Taylor."

Rose stiffened and the Doctor pulled her hand so that she was sent tumbling into his arms.  She loosed his hand and wrapped her arms around his waist, burying her face in his chest.  She had almost forgotten about Mr. Taylor and the fact that someone had so blatantly tried to murder her.  Of course, aliens had done it in the past, but something about it being a human, so close to herself, made her shiver.

As if sensing her upset, which she realized, he probably was, he bent down and pressed a kiss to the crown of her head. "I want to bring him up on attempted murder," he said softly.

"But how will we explain it? Why would anyone believe us?" Rose asked, her voice muffled by the cotton at her mouth.

He smoothed his hands up and down her back.  "Well, I have a plan.  We'll go to Mr. Taylor's house in the dead of night and convince him that he should confess.  He'll be half asleep and who would believe that it _wasn't_ a dream?  We've been gone for several days, after all."

Rose was quiet for a few moments.  "You've already landed us, haven't you."

"Yep."

She giggled and poked his sides, making him squirm away from her.  "Do you want me to come with you?" She asked, smoothing her hands on his chest.

"I did say 'us'.  I wasn't going to wake you, but I had a feeling you'd know we landed.  You're very in tune with the TARDIS these days," he told her.  

"Yeah," she admitted.  "We're not going to mess up any time streams or anything, are we?" Rose asked, feeling a little nervous with the whole endeavor, "And you did land us in the right spot, didn't you?"

The Doctor made a face at her, as though he couldn't even imagine that she would think that he would ever get anything wrong.  She smiled at him, some of her nervousness assuaged. 

"Twelve hours," she reminded him gently, and he rolled his eyes good-naturedly.

"Well, that was _one_ time," he said, "And besides, I've already checked to make sure we're at the right place."

"Oh, you did?" Rose felt her eyes widen.  "Good for you, then, Doctor," She smiled.  "So, are we going to go?  I kind of want to get this done."

He stepped forward and slid his hands down her shoulders before bending his head to kiss her.  She responded eagerly, her hands coming up to touch his waist. He hummed and pulled her closer at her encouragement.  

They separated slowly and he tipped his forehead against hers.  "I know you might not want to see him.  But we've got to get rid of him."

"I know," she whispered, tipping her head back to smile up at him.  "Okay, let's go," she stepped back from him and he took her hand before she could get too far away.  He gave her hand a squeeze and together they walked out of the TARDIS. 

Around them, the room was dark, and Rose realized the Doctor had parked the TARDIS right in the middle of Mr. Taylor's house.  She felt her jaw drop a little bit at that in surprise. He looked at her, and she realized he wouldn't know where to go. She'd been sent to his house for something for his office before, so she nodded and led the Doctor up to where she knew his room was. 

It was just as dark as the rest of the house, if not darker, and Rose could just barely make out his bed in the room.   She stepped forward, feeling a little braver, but still keeping a hold of the Doctor's hand. 

"Mr. Taylor," she said softly, then turned to the Doctor.  "Does he know I ever came back?" 

"I would assume so," the Doctor whispered back.  

She nodded and turned back to the man who was slumbering rather peacefully.  "Mr. Taylor," she said, louder this time.  With the sound of her voice and his name, he alerted, sitting up straight and staring at the both of them, his chest heaving. His eyes were lidded and glinted in the dark; he was still half asleep. 

"Wha-?" He started, his American accent somehow thicker with the sleep clogging his voice. 

"You have been feeling guilty," The Doctor cut him off, standing forward to be level with Rose.  "Haven't you?"

Mr. Taylor shifted in his bed.  "You don't know anything," he said sharply.

"So you don't regret almost killing Rose Tyler?"

He swallowed hard, almost audibly, and Rose felt the Doctor's hand twitch in hers.  She cleared her throat.  "An innocent woman on your hands.  How would that have made you feel?  Even as a layer, what would you have thought?"

"I don't have to answer to some weird dreams," Mr. Taylor slurred.  "This is stupid."

The Doctor stepped forward, releasing Rose's hand and rounding the side of the bed.  "Tomorrow, you'll go down to the police station and turn yourself in for the attempted murder of Rose Tyler," he said, his voice crisp and clear. There would be no mistaking him, that was for certain.  He touched his fingers to Mr. Taylor's temple, and his eyes rolled back in his head before he passed out, falling heavily against the pillows.  The Doctor, very pleased with himself, turned to offer Rose a big grin that she stifled a laugh at. 

He came back around to her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, kissing her temple as he led them back to the TARDIS. 

"That was fast," she said, squeezing his side.

"I am rather blunt when I need to be."

"You've never been blunt."

"Well, I didn't need to be those times."

"Hmm."  She watched him pilot them back in the vortex and let out an accidental jaw cracking yawn.  He glanced her way and smiled a little sheepishly.

"I'm sorry.  You need sleep," he said.  "Come on, let's go to bed."

"Are you gonna sleep?" she asked as she headed for him, following him to what used to be his room but was now theirs.  She liked the sound of that.

"Reckon I might.  Tomorrow is going to be rather taxing."

He disappeared into the en suite to get changed into his jim jams and as he did so Rose dropped her dressing gown to the ground and crawled into bed.  It was only when she settled under the covers that she realized what he'd said and she frowned, confused.  

When he came in, wearing the pajamas he'd pretty much stolen from Howard, he smiled at her again.  She was almost ready to just let him crawl in next to her and cuddle up against him without asking what he meant, but she had a feeling that he probably wanted her to ask. He still wasn't terribly up front with her, this one.

"What do you mean, 'tomorrow is gonna be taxing'?" She asked, "What are we doing?"

"Tomorrow I begin my courtship for you," he said, sliding down so his head was on the pillow.  She mirrored his position and once she reached it, his hand came out to stroke up and down her waist.  

"And that's going to make you tired or something?" Rose asked, confused.  She tried not to be offended by that.

He smiled. "No.  Showing you how much I love you could never make me tired," he told her, "However, the first task for a Time Lord would be to stay in the company of his betrothed's family.  Which means we'll be staying at yours for a week.  With one Jackie Tyler," he grimaced. 

She giggled, "Sure you don't like her better?  She's more your age, after all," she teased. 

He made another face and tugged her closer. "I am absolutely positive, Rose Tyler," he said dramatically.  "We'll have to tell her why we're there, you know."

"I know," she said, "Or rather, I'd assumed.  She'll probably still want to make you sleep on the couch though."

He sighed, "I would expect nothing less from your mother." he admitted. "I just don't want to go any more nights without holding you."

She blushed a little at that and glanced away from him.  "Don't you get bored though?  Lying next to me all night on the nights that you don't sleep?"

He moved his hand from her waist to cup her cheek and forced her gently to look at him. "No," he said bluntly, "Every moment I spend with you is a precious one, and I treasure them all.  I had you missing for two days," his tone turned soft in remembrance of what had happened to her when they were in the fifties.  "That was the most scared I've been in a long time, Rose.  I don't want that to happen again."

"Well, not much can happen to me at my mum's," she said softly, "You know what I mean?"

"Of course," he replied, "But now I'm used to cuddling you," he sighed, "I suppose I'll have to make do."

She slapped his chest playfully.  "You're so dramatic."

"Yeah."

She ran a hand through his hair and watched as his eyes fell shut.  "You really want to court me?  That seems so fancy."

"It is fancy," the Doctor replied.  "It's committing myself to you for the rest of our natural lives," before she could say anything about their difference in lifespan, he tugged her up against him and she curled into his chest, seeming to take the hint. 

"And then you want to..."

"Marry you?  Yeah."

She felt her heart flutter at the words.  The Doctor.  Somehow, the most powerful man in all of time in space, wanted to love her forever, and _marry_ her.  She didn't understand how her life had become like this.

"I've wanted to... But I didn't know if you.." he huffed in frustration and her head rose and fell harshly on his chest.  "I looked into it, in the med bay.  It's uncommon but with a bit of genetic tinkering that luckily I know how to do... We could have children."

She propped herself up on his chest so she could look down at him. "Is that something you want?" She asked softly.

He nodded, his eyes more open and vulnerable than anything she had ever seen.  "Yes," he said, "If you do."

"I've never thought about it," she replied honestly, "But with you?  Yeah."  She laid back down half on top of him and he squeezed her close to him, his hearts thumping a little faster.  She threw her leg over his. "But maybe not right away."

He chuckled and lightly scratched her back, lulling her quickly into sleep.  "I love you," he whispered, his hand still tracing patterns. 

"I love you too," she said.  

They fell asleep, and somehow, the storm that had been rolling towards them rolled the other way.


	2. Chapter 2

They woke tangled together, as well the usual for them these days.  Rose's head was pillowed on the Doctor's chest, her arm wrapped around his waist and the other cramped incredibly awkwardly between them.  He had one arm around her back, an arm that was surely asleep, and the other laid on her arm where it rest over his chest.  

He was slightly cooler than her, what with his Time Lord temperature, and Rose found that that made him the ideal cuddle partner.  he was just cool enough that she could have all the covers on her and be up against the Doctor too.  It was really very reassuring.  

She rubbed her cheek against his shirt and he hummed happily, squeezing her closer until she giggled and squeezed him back.  His responding sound rumbled through his chest and her cheek and she lifted her head to look down at him.  "Hello."

"Hello," he replied, his hand skimming up and down her back.  "Ready to go?"

She scowled at him.  "Well, if you don't want to cuddle any longer."

She was just teasing, and he knew that, but he tugged her back against him and kissed her temple.  She laughed and sat up.  

"You want to come see my mum, now?" Rose asked, the covers around her waist and her hair in magnificent disarray.  

He winced. "No, not really, but needs must," he said painfully, still lying down, and staring up at her.  He smiled warmly and reached up to cup her cheek.  "You're so beautiful."

She blushed and her eyes were downcast.  She liked the compliments, but no man had ever given her so much attention.  She would get all dressed up for Jimmy and he would grunt at her like she had just thrown o her most ratty pair of jeans and a hoodie.  Mickey tried too hard, calling her lovely things but only too late, like after she was already mad at him.  

The Doctor was different. Everything he said to her was calculated and true.  He now made a point not to keep things from her, even if he wanted to, he wouldn't. So she lifted her eyes back to his and smiled softly.  "Thanks," she whispered.  He smiled smugly at her reaction to him and dropped his hand to her leg, which was closer to him from her position.  "Go ahead, get dressed," he murmured.  

"You gonna follow me?" She asked, smiling at him.

He groaned.  "Don't tempt me," he said wistfully, and they both dissolved into easy laughter.  

"Okay, you go make breakfast, then," she said, getting out of the bed and padding over to the wardrobe in the corner.

"Sounds like a plan, Miss Tyler," he said cheerfully, and rolled out of bed himself.  He walked past her on his way to the door and bent down to give her a kiss before leaving.

He'd changed so much, but it wasn't necessarily drastic.  She only noticed because she lived with him. He was still spontaneous and absolutely goofy and all the things that she loved about the Doctor, but with a sense of freedom about him. He was free with his touches, his words, and he wanted to court her.  That was the most wonderful thing she'd ever heard of. 

She wished he'd share more about her past, but she also knew that he wanted her to share more of hers.  He didn't know about Jimmy, after all, and that had been a very big part of her life when she was a teenager.  Parts of it followed her around into adulthood, and she knew he'd want to know that.

It occurred to her that perhaps this was part of his 'courtship'.  The learning of each other's pasts.  In some way, she sort of hoped it was.  She wanted to know more about him, and knew that she made him rather curious as well.  They were a right pair, honestly, and she was at her happiest when he was this open with her.  

She put on a pair of jeans and a pink top, smoothing her hands over it to clear the wrinkles.  That wasn't really going to happen, but she was just going to see her mum, so what did it matter?

With her _fiance._ She smiled at the thought.  She was going to see her mum with her _fiance._ That was sort of what he was, even if he just said that he was courting her.  It was a road to marriage, he'd said he wanted to marry her.  And children, he wanted children.  

Shaking herself, she went to the bathroom and applied her makeup and brushed out her hair before going out to the galley to find the Doctor.  

He already had breakfast all cooked, bowls of oatmeal and slices of bacon.  The Doctor smiled down at her as she approached him. She wrapped her arms around the waist from behind and pressed her cheek to his back.  He reached up to pat her hand and he smiled, turning away from the stove and dumping the last of the bacon onto one of the plates on the table.  "You're making it difficult to walk, you know." He told her, laughter in his voice. 

"Are you complaining?" She asked, pressing a kiss to the fabric in between his shoulder blades.  He squirmed around in her arms and wrapped his arms around her, ducking down to kiss her.  She hummed happily against his mouth, fisting her hands in his shirt.  He sighed gently and opened his mouth over hers.  After a few moments of that, he pulled away and squeezed her shoulders.  

"Come on, the food is going to get cold, and I worked so hard on it," he pouted at her and his face broke into a huge grin at her giggle. "Orange juice or milk?"

"Orange juice," She replied, taking her seat in her regular spot at the table.  The Doctor sat cross from her and set out both of their drinks, smiling at her.

"So what's the plan?" She asked after she took her first bite. 

"The plan is to go to Jackie's, for me to confess exactly what's going on, and for her to want to rip my head off."

"And then we stay there for the week?"

"And then we stay there for the week," he replied, nodding solemnly.  

She shook her head.  "I can never imagine you doing that," she said softly.

"And what's that?" He asked, seeming genuinely confused. 

"Doing domestic," she said softly.

He laughed and grimaced. "You know, neither do I," he said.  "It feels impossible, almost," he said softly, "But with you, Rose, I can see myself doing just that."

"But no picket fences," she said, "No carpets.  No... You know.  No houses."

He gestured around them.  "This is our house, our home," he told her, "We have a carpet in the library," he pointed out, "And why would we want to be fenced in when we have the entire galaxy around us?"

She smiled at his poetic and beautiful words.  "You're right," she said softly.  "We do really have it all, don't we?"

"Of course we do," He said softly, "And I would give you more, if I could."

****

The Doctor sighed dramatically the whole time that he was piloting the TARDIS.  He let Rose help, pointing at certain buttons and sighing and rolling his eyes.  She kept laughing at his antics and turned on him.

"This was your idea, mister," she said, shaking her finger at him. "You wanted to follow the courtship rules."

He beamed, "Oh, you're right, it was my idea," he said, "But you know, I can still be frustrated at the prospect of seeing your mother."

She wrinkled her nose. "If you insist."  

Pretty much the moment they were parked, Jackie banged her fist on the door.  The Doctor sighed one last time.  "It's now or never."

She rolled her eyes and slid her hand into his.  "Alright, let's go."  

They opened the door and Jackie stood with her arms crossed in front of her chest and a scowl on her face.  "It's been a month!" She shouted.

"We've been busy," The Doctor mumbled, and Rose laughed.

"Hi, Mum," Rose stepped forward and hugged her mother, who hugged her back and patted her back.  

"So why's he kept you away for so long?" Jackie asked.

The Doctor, of course, overheard, and he started bolting towards the flat.  "We'll discuss it over tea, yeah?" He called over his shoulder. 

Rose shrugged.  "He's got something he needs to talk to you about," she said, starting to walk towards the flat as well.  "Something that _we_ need to talk to you about."

Jackie looked at her daughter worriedly and hurried to catch up to her.  "Are you hurt?" She asked, "What happened?"

"I'm the opposite of hurt, I promise," Rose said, "But what he wants to talk about is his place to say, you know, he wants to do it right."

Jackie was feeling a little nervous with her daughter's words, but she had a feeling that she knew hat was best, and whatever was happening was a good thing.  So they walked together to the flat, chatting amiably.  The Doctor had beat them there by about a mile, and so by the time they got there he already had tea made.  There was one cup that he hadn't done anything to, and one he handed to Rose as soon as she entered the room.

"Just how you like it," he said, and swayed forward to kiss her but backed up.  She smirked at him knowingly and walked to the table.  The Doctor gestured to the tea on the counter.  "That's for you, Jackie. I don't know how you take it."

"But you know how Rose takes it," Jackie pointed out, adding cream to her tea. 

"That's actually what I want to talk to you about," The Doctor said as he prepared his own tea, and Rose wondered it he was thinking about nervously rubbing the back of his neck. 

"How Rose takes her tea?" Jackie asked, confused. 

"No," The Doctor replied, seeming to struggle with his words.  "Let's sit?"

Jackie shot him an odd look and walked into the kitchen.   The Doctor took a deep breath before he followed after her.  Jackie sat at the end of the table and the Doctor took his seat next to Rose.  She immediately looped her leg around his under the table and he jolted.

"So, what's the problem?"

"This is the opposite of a problem, I can assure you," The Doctor said with conviction.

"Then what's going on?"

"I am not coming to you for permission," he said firmly, "Rose and I are adults, and I... I've asked her to marry me."

Jackie blinked, shock settling over her face.  "So, you haven't dated her or anything and now you wanna marry her?" She seemed almost angry, and Rose winced. 

"I'm courting her, Jackie.  That's why I'm here."

"Courting?  That's a bit-"

"It's a Time Lord thing, Mum," Rose interjected quietly, "And part of that is staying at the house of the betrothed for a week," she looked to the Doctor and back at her mother.  "I, for one, think it's very sweet," she said bluntly.

Jackie sensed the whole touchiness of the 'Time Lord' aspect of things, and she snapped her jaw shut before nodding tersely and saying, "Well, you'll be sleeping on the couch then, mister." She said pointedly.  

Rose looked over and grinned at the Doctor.  Of course, she'd called it. The Doctor smiled back at her and took a sip of his tea.  

"Is there something specific you're supposed to do during that week?" Jackie asked, waving her hand vaguely.  

"No.  It's about spending time, taking care of your loved one and their loved ones.  That's all, really," He tugged his ear.  

Jackie took a sip of her tea and watched the two of them carefully.  "Well, it's about time.  Making eyes at each other for two years finally got you two to see sense."

Rose blinked.  "What?"

Jackie laughed.  "The two of you were supposed to get together, it was always going to happen," she said, waving her hand.  "I'm happy for you both.  But don't you think about eloping with my daughter after all of this!"

"No!  No, I plan to marry her here, in London." The Doctor said.  "But that will be after some time, I'm afraid.  The courtship process is to make sure we know each other on a deeper level before we marry."

Jackie smiled softly when she looked at Rose's smile at the Doctor.  "Alright, I suppose I can't be mad at either of you for that.  I can see you love each other."

She sipped her tea.  "But if you move from that couch, we're going to have words."

The Doctor grimaced but nodded.  He'd had a feeling.


	3. Chapter 3

To his credit, the Doctor did not move from the couch that night.  Jackie had given him a sheet and a heavier blanket, and a pillow, and he had settled in, wearing his pjs and a pair of socks.  He stared up at the dark ceiling, listening to the late activity outside the estate.  People coming back from clubs, people that Rose would've been around, had Rose not met him.  Somehow, he was rather proud of himself in that respect; that he held her close to himself instead of leaving her behind. 

Oh yes, to _his_ credit, the Doctor did not move from the couch.  However, Rose moved from her room.  

He was staring up at the ceiling and continuing to listen when she crept out, wrapped in her dressing gown so he couldn't see the shorts and vest top that was certainly underneath.  She smiled at him and ran her hand through her hair, parting it deeply on one side. 

"Hello," she whispered.  He felt his eyes widen and he pushed his finger to his lips.  She scowled at him in response and walked over to him.  He stiffened but was helpless to do anything but watch her as she moved the heavier blanket and crawled on top of him and covered them up again.  

His hearts were beating very fast, mostly out of fear and slight intrigue at being caught.  She was now laying with her head on his chest, her arms wrapped around him. 

"So, are you planning to stay there?" The Doctor whispered, his hands frozen at his sides.  Rose nodded and he heard her yawn, a long, tired sound with a squeak at the end.  She burrowed closer to him. 

"Yes."

"Um.  Rose, your mum-"

"Is sleeping," she replied tiredly, turning to press a kiss to his chest.  His breath hitched and his hands came up to take her waist, a more natural motion for the both of them.  Cuddling was a past time that had begun far before they had become lovers.  She sometimes needed his presence after a very difficult trip, or during a prison stay.  She was very, _very_ cuddly, but he'd known that for so long that it wasn't really a big problem.  Scratch that.  It wasn't a problem at all.  

"Yes, but she didn't want me to-"

"Move from the couch?" She cut him off again, "You didn't," she said cheekily. "I moved."  She shifted up, her tiredness seemingly forgotten, and leaned forward to kiss him. It was a slow, unmoving kiss at first, and he let out a shuddering sigh, needing to touch her and hold her because he'd been starved for it all night.  She moved her mouth over his, testing what he would let her take while on her mother's couch.  He let her, his fingers digging into her dressing gown as she continued to kiss him. 

They didn't do anything but kiss and breathe for several minutes, their bodies moving together like they had been built to do exactly that.  Finally, Rose pulled away and kissed both his cheeks and looked down at him.

"I love you," she told him with conviction.

He smiled and moved his hand down her back.  "I love you, too," he whispered.

"Oh?  You do?" She said, feigning innocence. 

The Doctor chuckled and craned his neck to kiss her again before falling down onto the pillows again.  "You are absolutely incredible," he said softly, "And you are my world."

She colored deeply, which was an odd thing considering that she had been so brazen with him just moments before.  Her eyes fluttered, eyelashes touching lightly pinked skin.  He watched her for a few moments, obsessed with the way she looked and the way that she felt on top of him. 

"You need your sleep," he whispered. 

"I need _you,"_ Rose replied, shifting on his lap. His eyes rolled back in his head and he grabbed her hips, forcing her to still.

"Out of respect for your mother... Not here," he said softly.

Her eyes seemed to brim over with tears, but it wasn't with upset that he said something to ward her off, but because of some sort of caring part of him.  He reached up to cup her cheek and stroked his thumb over the swell of it.  

She smiled and nuzzled his palm.  "You make me so happy," she whispered.

He grinned.  "You make me happy," He said, as though finishing an oath.

She seemed satisfied by that, like maybe she still _wanted_ him, but knew that he wanted to... Not... Do that.  Right now anyway, because at any other time he- well.  He almost cleared at the thoughts that poured into his mind.  She shifted down and laid down on top of him again.  He wrapped his arms loosely around her, his hands resting on her back so he could feel her breathing.  He meant to wait until she fell asleep to take her back to her room, but he accidentally fell asleep as well.

**

"Oh, good God, what did I tell you two?" Jackie's voice startled them out of deep sleeps. 

Rose groaned and buried her face in the Doctor's shirt.

"Jackie," the Doctor said patiently, "Look."  He whipped the blanked off them so that she could see exactly what they hadn't done the night before.  "Fully clothed.  No evidence of not being fully clothed at any point during the night.  Eh?"

Jackie folded her arms over her chest. "Well, you get off this once, then, but I need you two to run some errands for me today while I go to Bev's."

Rose sat up and rolled off the Doctor, so he sat up as well.  She scratched her leg.  "So, what do you need us to do?"

Jackie handed her a shopping list and waved her daughter off.  "Just go to the grocery store and get all this stuff.  Haven't had any time to go shopping, what with all the time I spend worrying about the pair of you."

Rose groaned but the Doctor suddenly felt warm.  Was this what having a family felt like?  In truth, he couldn't quite remember.  Was it people worrying about him?  He glanced over at Rose.  He knew she worried about him.  A lot, he corrected himself, she worried about him a _lot._ And he realized that as selfish as it was, he loved her all the more for it.  He reached over and squeezed her hand.  She gave him an odd look but squeezed him back.

He grinned at her until Jackie's loud "oi!" startled their moment and they pulled away from each other, looking very guilty indeed.  Jackie rolled her eyes and placed her hands on her hips.  Well, she wasn't angry, not really, but she didn't much like being ignored. 

"Sorry, mum, what were you saying?" Rose asked, a little quieter than she had been before. 

"Well, I was saying you might want to get a move on so you can get lunch at a decent hour.  I know you both like that chippy down the street and I will not be making the pair of you dinner if you're going to be too full from a late lunch to eat it!"

"Yes ma'am," the Doctor said, getting to his feet.  He started to fold up the sheet and blanket she had given him but stopped when he noticed she was giving him an odd stare.  "What?" he asked. 

"You're cleanin' up."

He made a face, "Yes, I am. I'm being a proper house guest. Don't act so surprised."

Rose winced at his rough tone. "Rude," she said softly, and he immediately looked chastised. 

Jackie rolled her eyes.  "Yes, I see that, you plum. What I don't understand is why you think you need to do that."

The Doctor shrugged.  "Because you're going to be my mother in law, mostly," he said honestly, "I suppose I should start being nice, don't you think?"

"Well, don't get too carried away.  I wanna recognize the man that brings my daughter home, and you being 'nice' don't exactly fit that bill.  Hop to, the both of you, I'll see you tonight."

With that, Jackie excused herself, muttering about goodness knows what on her way out.  The Doctor rubbed the back of his neck, looking a little uncomfortable.  "I guess I should go get dressed," he said, setting one blanket on top of the other.   Even if Jackie wasn't his favorite person (that was Rose, of course) he would have to learn to get along with her to make his _future wife_ happy.  What was that earth saying?  Happy wife, happy life.  He looked over at Rose and smiled softly.  Yes.  Happy Rose, happy life. 

 She furrowed her brows at him but looked amused.  "Why are you staring at me?" She asked, laughing a little. 

He shook himself a little. "I don't know," he said, "I'm just thinking about us."

She grinned. "Well, if that's all."

He grinned back at her and the two of them stood like that, like absolute loons, for quite some time until she giggled and walked up to him, throwing her arms around his neck.  He held her close, his chin resting on her shoulder, and reveled in the feeling of being able, being _allowed_ to hold her like this. She was his.  It was the most important thing he had ever experienced, and he had seen worlds collapse and rise up from nothing. He had seen friendships fade and grow anew and nothing, _nothing_ compared to the look on Rose Tyler's face when she smiled. 

He squeezed her firmly and pulled back, pressing a chaste kiss to her lips before pulling away from her. It wouldn't do well to get carried away, after all.  Especially not after her mother had found them all cuddled up on the couch. It had been a bit cozy after all.  Nothing he couldn't defuse of course, but still.  He ran his hands down her arms and she pouted at him.  He grimaced.  

"Now, none of that."

She sighed. "Alright, then, I guess I'd better go get dressed."

"You do that."

"You could come with me."

His brow furrowed painfully and he looked longingly at her.  "Don't tempt me," he said dramatically.

She giggled and rolled her eyes.  "Okay, okay, I'll behave," she said, and then pointed a finger at him at the last moment.  "But don't you think for a moment that I'm going to like it!"

About a half hour later they were walking to the store, hand in hand. In that respect, things were much the same.  They held hands and the conversation was easy.  Nothing about them was awkward, it was all rather natural. She fell into step with him so easily it was like she had been made to do so.  She swung his hand gently and glanced down at the list in her other hand.

"You know, Doctor, this is awfully domestic. Some might say _wildly_ domestic."

He sighed a little, blowing his cheeks out on the way. "Yes, I suppose it is," he said thoughtfully, "But I guess if I'm going to marry into the Tyler family that's somethign I'm going to have to live with."

She gave him a funny look then, like she was studying him, and he stopped walking just as they got to the store to stare down at her.  She shook her head and pulled him along, releasing his hand to pick out a cart to push along with them.

"What was that for?" He asked, trailing after her, hands in his pockets, already missing the absence of her hand firmly locked in his.  

"Nothing," she called over her shoulder, and he came up next to her, not wanting her off the hook so easily.

"No, no, no, what was it for?" He teased her, bumping her shoulder with his.

She shook her head again.  "You know, you're just so different, since we started... Since we became..." she huffed, not finding the English language adequate for describing what she so wanted to describe for him, for her, for what they were together.  She finally lifted a shoulder before piling the yogurt that Jackie wanted into the cart.  "Since the fifties."

"I'm different?" He asked, but he knew he was, just wanted to hear her say it, admit it really.

"Yes," she replied evenly, as though she was trying not to let something slip.

He swallowed, "Good different or bad different?" He asked softly.

She tossed him a head of lettuce, which he caught very efficiently (Time Lord reflexes) and smiled warmly at him.  "Good different," she replied strongly.  "Very good different."


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two more chapters? Maybe? I'm not sure.
> 
> Enjoy!

That week, in the Doctor's mind, from then on, was known as the 'week of hell'.  He had brought it on himself so he couldn't be angry with Rose for it, but he could be angry at the Time Lords.  Jackie was annoyed but somehow seemed like she was fond of the idea. 

"Am I gonna have grandbabies?" she asked the both of them on the morning that they were going to get back in the TARDIS.  

The Doctor choked on his eggs and Rose patted his back before turning to her mother.  "I don't know, mum.  Maybe.  We've discussed it."

"And what about a wedding?" Jackie demanded.

Rose lifted a shoulder.  "Well, I guess we should set a date, shouldn't we?" She looked over at the Doctor.  He furrowed his brows. 

"What month is it now?"

"June," Jackie replied quickly.

The Doctor nodded and looked over at Rose.  "How's December for you?" He asked softly.

She smiled at him and nodded.  "I think my calendar is open," she teased.  "December third?"

"Ah, a winter wedding," Jackie smiled.  "Okay.  I'm... I feel better about that now.  The two of you make me very nervous, you know."

"We'll have to be here to plan," Rose told him.  "Should we come round in November?"

Jackie furrowed her brows.  "I would advise that you get here before that," she snapped.  "You're still visiting, your courtship isn't going to change that, you got that?"

Rose and the Doctor both nodded, thoroughly beaten.  He blushed a little, at the mention of the courtship.  

"Okay, well, as nice as this has been, Jackie, I think it's time we were off," he said, getting to his feet and brushing his palms off on his trousers.  Rose stood up as well and took their plates into the kitchen before coming back over to her mother.

"It was nice, this week," she said, giving Jackie a hug.  "Even if he doesn't think so.  He'll get used to it."

Jackie huffed but smiled when she pulled away from her daughter.  "I certainly hope so.  If he's gonna marry you, he's gonna have to be on good terms with me, too."

"Of course," Rose agreed.  "Bye, mum.  Love you."

"Love you too, sweetheart.  And I love you too, you idiot.  You've been like a son in law for well over a year now, it's about bloomin' time."

The Doctor looked incredibly awkward but smiled before reaching for Rose's hand.  She giggled and took it, and he led her back towards the TARDIS.

The moment they got inside, he closed the door and swept Rose into his arms, holding her close to him.  He kissed her, then, his hands and mouth needy.  She soothed him, her hand rubbing against the back of his neck.  After several heart stopping moments he pulled away and pressed his forehead to hers.

"I missed you."

She giggled at his words.  "You've been with me all week, you idiot."

"But I couldn't touch you, couldn't be with you," the Doctor protested.  "Isn't that just bloody awful?"

Rose grinned.  "Well, a little bit yeah.  But then we get to be together all the time, so isn't it worth it?"

"Of course it's worth it," the Doctor said urgently.  "You are worth everything, Rose Tyler, you beautiful woman."

She blushed and thumped his chest lightly.  "Oh, come on," she said.

"I'm serious," he said, rolling his eyes.  "But now I've got you all to myself, away from your mother, and I plan to keep it that way for the time being."

She regarded him carefully as he walked over to the console and began to send them into the Vortex. "You're not being weird," she blurted out finally.

"What?" He asked. 

"You're not being weird," She repeated.  "We just set a wedding date, which is absolutely the most domestic thing I can think of.  And you don't even bat an eye, you just... We picked a date to get _married_ on."

The Doctor smiled at her. "Yes, We're going to be married.  And we're going to have children, and drop them at Jackie's so she can babysit while we're having the adventures of a lifetime.  And you're going to call me your husband."

His enthusiasm was contagious and she couldn't help but smile back. She skipped up the ramp to him. "But you're not scared?"

"No," he said firmly, "I could never be scared to be with you."

She found her heart blooming with warmth at that confession, because it was certainly a confession. Even a few months ago the Doctor would've shied away at the mere thought of sharing a bed with her, and maybe now she understood why.  Because he was afraid he would let his guard down and let himself be with her in the way that they had both wanted for so long. 

It had surprised her, in his office, when he had kissed her long and deeply and not said a word about regretting it. She had expected that if anything were to happen between them, a few days later, he would leave, run, like he always did, like he felt he needed to.  But that had not been the case. 

He had stayed.  He had kissed her over and over and followed her to bed that night, cuddling into her and holding her as though he would never see her again.  She had almost been glad that the TARDIS hadn't been able to get through to him, because that must have been what pushed him to admit to himself what he felt for her, and she was relieved for that.  Tension such as theirs could only continue on for so long before one of them exploded.  Rose had always had a feeling that she would be the one to explode first. 

She smiled at him and watched him pilot the TARDIS with the excitement that he always had, flipping levers and spinning dials, throwing his hands up in a very dramatic fashion all the while.  Finally, the comforting whir and grind of the ship became regular and they were gently coursing through the vortex. 

"Well, what's next then?" she asked patiently, "With our courtship?"

The next step is rather boring, I have to admit that to you," the Doctor said, approaching her again and taking her hands in his.  We find a place, a peaceful place, and we sit together until our breathing synchronizes."

Rose felt her brows raise.  "How will we know when that happens?"

"The TARDIS will tell us," the Doctor dropped a reassuring kiss to her knuckles.  "Your heart beat will fall into sync with mine."

"So what's that supposed to do?" Rose asked, not wanting to insult him or the way his people proved their love for one another. 

Luckily, he didn't seem offended at all.  He simply smiled and lifted a shoulder.  "It will take longer since we're different species, but it proves that we can listen to each other.  Our bodies will pick up on our closeness and regulate themselves together.  Since my body is a bit more evolved than yours, it will struggle to get closer to you and once it does so we'll fall together."

She blinked.  "That was beautiful.  What have you done with the Doctor?"

He rolled his eyes.  "Come on," he said, pulling her towards the corridor. 

They same ease settled between them as it had remained since their relationship had progressed.  Her hand was in his and they were chatting aimlessly about their visit with Jackie and "really, Rose, why does she make us run so many errands?  Doesn't she know how to do that?"

Over all, things stayed the same between them.  Well, _mostly_ the same.  The kissing and touching factor of their relationship had quadrupled in quantity.  They were _together._ In all ways.  In any way.  They belonged together.  

The TARDIS led them to a beautiful garden that Rose was honestly certain that she had seen before but couldn't exactly be sure.  She knew there were plants and flowers form Gallifrey there, and at the same time she tried to avoid them, for him, he started tugging her towards where they were.

" Arkytior," he told her softly, "It means Rose.  It's what I call you in my mind, when I think of us being married."  

He nodded towards a blanket that the TARDIS had laid out for them.  "Lay like this," he said, laying on his side, facing her.  She mirrored his position and he reached for her hand, linking their fingers together and letting them rest in the space between their chests.  

"Look at me," he whispered.  She looked from her hands into his eyes, watching as he searched her.  His eyes were so ancient, and so soft, yet so guarded.  But after a few moments, that started to shift.  His eyes became more open to her and she was watching him carefully, trying her best to let her own guard drop so that he could see all of her.  She did that anyway, tried to let him in all the time, but this was different. This was both of them letting go, letting each other search and find each other, find the love that they were so willing to give each other.  

It was freedom, to love like this, the Doctor realized.  It was not holding him back,a s he thought it might.  It was both of them, loving freely.  That's why they called it loving 'freely' he supposed, because one person does it of their own free will.  He had always thought that something was going to happen to pull her away, and he still thought that.  But now he knew that she was not holding him back.  She was setting him free.

She let her breathing even out, her body not quite relaxing, as it was still rather jarring to sit this close to the Doctor.  She swallowed and scooted slightly closer, because she could, and rubbed her thumb over his.  

"Just breathe," he whispered, "Try not to think of anything."

Rich words, coming from him, he scolded himself, considering that he couldn't stop the thoughts that were thundering through his head like rampant elephants.  He couldn't keep it quiet in his mind, not when she was so close and they were so together.  His thoughts fell into a quiet roar, falling in the background with his telepathic abilities trying to push forwards to find Rose's consciousness. 

That wasn't what this was about, he wasn't supposed to bury himself in her mind.  He was supposed to let them fall into sync.  He breathed deeply, trying to get themselves into the same rhythm.  Rose seemed to follow suit, her hand tightening around his as she followed him. 

Quiet settled around them, the TARDIS even dimming parts of the garden, the rustling of leaves quieting as she let her Wolf and her Thief find each other again.  Hours later, though it didnt' feel like hours, they fell asleep together, noses nearly bumping, hands still locked around each other.  In sleep, her heart found his, falling into step between his two. One beat of hers between the two beats of his.  They settled and fit like puzzle pieces, and the TARDIS hummed happily.  She let them release each other, because now they were to be synced forever.  

In her sleep, Rose fitted herself against his chest, and he curled around her as well, holding her loosely, his mind reaching out for hers.

After a couple more hours, the TARDIS let them know that they were together and Rose opened her eyes first, staring into the cotton of the Doctor's shirt.  She rested her hand in the center of his chest and listened to her own heart, smiling when she could feel their hearts leaping together.  

"Good morning," she whispered. 

"Are you hungry?" He whispered back, his voice groggy. 

She nodded slowly.  "Yeah."

"We're synced."

She smiled.  "Yeah."

He squeezed her around the waist and dropped a kiss to her forehead.  "Well, let's go then.  Can't be lazing about all day." 

She couldn't keep the smile from her face as the Doctor hauled her to her feet and they left the garden.  The TARDIS was singing happily in the backs of both their minds.  It was very, very good.   _They,_ the Doctor and Rose, were very, very good.


	5. Chapter 5

The days passed slowly after the syncing of their hearts, almost lazily, as though those involved in the courtship had years and years to complete it. There was only one step, and the Doctor was a little afraid to take it, though Rose didn’t know that. It was the deepest, probably the one that would hurt him the most, in the end. And he didn't want to be hurt, somehow knew that Rose wouldn’t hurt him, but it was still a fear that lingered in his subconscious. At some point, they had to go back to London, and the Doctor surely knew that, but wasn’t looking forward to the event. The event meant that he would have to finish the courtship, and soon, so Rose could finish planning. Or start, as it were. The thoughts of those sorts of things made him unreasonably angry.

Oh, he was certainly looking forward to marrying Rose, that was not necessarily a matter up for debate, but the idea of an Earth ceremony with all of Rose’s friends and Jackie’s boyfriends and probably some of Rose’s exes filled him with dread. Would Jimmy Stone want to show up and bring the girl he’d left Rose for? If that was the case, the Doctor decided that he was going to have to prove to Rose exactly why he was the better man.

But that was all a bit ridiculous because Rose never even thought of Jimmy. Her mother would probably secretly invite him out of spite for the man, but Rose only had eyes for one and it wasn’t the one who’d left her when she’d dropped out of school for him.

All morning, she’d been on the phone with Jackie, picking out invitations and flowers and promising to be home to help with the planning. She looked up at the Doctor pleadingly, and he suddenly realized the importance of a woman being home for her wedding planning. Of course, she would want to be more involved with this, and how could he possibly blame her? When she hung up, she requested they go home earlier, and the Doctor studied her for awhile.

“Can we…” He started slowly, wanting to ease her into the whole idea. “There’s a handfasting ceremony on my planet, binding the couple together. I want-”

“Yes,’ she cut him off. She smiled at him. “I think we’ll just have to say you’re from far away.”

He beamed at her, appreciating her willingness to do something of Gallifrey for him. He leaned over her on the bed and pressed a lingering kiss to her cheek. “Where do you want to honeymoon?” He asked her. “We can go absolutely anywhere.”

“Where are we not going to get in trouble?” She responded teasingly, running her hand up into his hair. He wrinkled his nose at her.

“Oi,” he said softly, “We don’t always get in trouble.”

“No, but it’s a trend,” she replied happily, and he really couldn’t tell her that she was wrong about that.

He flopped back onto his back. “So, we can set off for Jackie’s, but there’s one more piece of the courtship left.”

She looked over at him. “It’s weird that our hearts are in sync,” She replied, “Weird, but I like it. When I have my head on your chest or something it’s like we’re one person.”

He smiled at her. “Yes, it’s rather like that.”

“So the next part… How can there be more than that? I don’t think there’s anything more intimate than your hearts being together.”

“It is rather poetic, isn’t it?” He breathed out a sigh. “In the final step of the courtship, the man would show his woman to the place that he was born, the house he was raised in.” He got to his feet, and she sat up, staring after him, waiting for him to continue and trying not to step on the broken glass of his lost home.

He kept tight lipped for a few moments, looking far away. “I can’t show you that, Rose, but I can… There are parts of me that I can show you, or at least, I want to. Of course I want to. Meet me in the console room in ten minutes.”

Rose was a little nervous to say the least at both his behavior and what this could entail for them. He could be broken by this, she realized, the prospect of not having a home to show her to. She hoped that he was starting to see her as his home, as she saw the TARDIS as both of theirs.

She stood and began for looking to something to dress in, wondering what would be appropriate for an event such as this. She finally settled on black jeans and a flowing TARDIS-blue top, which might have been a bit on the nose, but she had a feeling that the Doctor would appreciate the gesture that she was trying to make.

She wasn’t desperate for a domestic life, she realized. Marrying the Doctor was not a domestic decision. Their lives would still be filled with chaos, and eventually, if they had children, Grandma Jackie would babysit while Mum and Dad gallivanted across the universe.

That thought sent a small thrill through her. This was the best part, she thought, Giving him what he had lost, even thought she could in no way fill the gaping hole in his hearts, She wasn’t even going to try, not really. She was just trying to give him something better than what he had, but she wasn’t even sure that that was her. But she could make him a dad again, she’d seen him with children, and it was something that struck a maternal chord in her.

She loved him, and the thought of children with him, and the thought of him saying “This is my wife, Rose Tyler.” Or would he call her something else? Rose Smith? Or would they both need new aliases? The thought that that was something they might actually have to do sent her giggling and she barely made it back to the console room in the time the Doctor had allotted, her tone more solemn than it had been in their room just a few minutes prior.

He was dressed in long red and gold robes, and somehow she knew instantly that this was the traditional garb of the Time Lord. There was a massive headpiece sitting on the jump seat and she had a feeling that he was not going to put it on. As if sensing her presence, he turned, the gold accents glittering on his chest. Her eyes were drawn to thema nd she was only brought back in when he spoke once more.

“The headdress just makes people laugh,” he said, and wrinkled his nose, “Including me.” He held out his hand to her and she willingly went to him, sliding her hand into his when she reached him. He smiled down at her. “I am dressed as a Time Lord, not simply Gallifreyan. They spoke High Gallifreyan, a complicated language with too many rules, and were entirely snotty and really quite stuffy.”

“I gathered,” she whispered, looking over the unfamiliar clothes with curiosity that she didn’t think had plagued her in a very long time. The cuff of the robe brushed her hand and it was unreasonably soft, so she gathered that it could not be made by material from Earth or anything like it at all.

“But you make me different,” He said. He turned towards the doors of the TARDIS, gently releasing her hand, and shed the robes. Underneath it he was wearing a green jumper and leather jacket with black jeans that she recognized all too well. Her breath hitched and she felt her eyes widen in shock. She didn’t know what she expected, but it certainly hadn’t been this. This was the two men (the one man, of course) that she had loved crammed together into one package that mixed the two personalities effortlessly.

He had stopped talking and hadn’t even looked at her, as though he was awaiting her response. She stepped forward and gathered up the robes, not wanting something so precious to touch the ground. It almost seemed as though he didn’t care, and that made her heart absolutely ache for him. “Doctor?”

“You made me feel like I could do anything, do other things besides kill, be something other than a monster.”

“You were never a monster.”

  
“Not to you,” he said, correctively but gently, and turned to her. He looked at the robes she held in her hands. “You should’ve been born Gallifreyan,” he said softly, “You would have made it worth every sacrifice for that bloody planet and you should be allowed to have that for yourself,” he was barely above a whisper, as though he wasn’t meaning to say any of it out loud. “You’re beautiful.”

Her hands tightened around the robes and she watched as he gathered up a gold chain resting next to the headpiece on the jump seat and laid it over her head. It fit around the circumference of her head like a delicate crown, a piece of gold hanging just over her brows.

“Less traditional,” he whispered, “But still Gallifreyan.”

“It it for a wedding?” She asked, on a hunch. He nodded tersely, and she smiled. “Then I’ll wear it to ours.”

She still watched, as he seemed entranced by what he’d just placed upon her head and the words that had followed it. “I can’t show you my home,” he said finally, after a few long seconds of silence, “And you can’t pretend to know it,” he gestured towards the door and Rose dropped the robes on the jumpseat before coming to his side, running her hand down the leather of the familiar U-boat coat and taking his hand.

It was odd, to have this hand sticking out of the cuff of this coat, like it almost wasn’t right, but at the same time, made perfect sense. She gave a gentle squeeze and he squeezed back before swinging the TARDIS doors open.

“Galactic coordinates ten-zero-eleven-zero-zero by zero-two from galactic zero centre,” he said softly. “I grew up 250 light years from you,” he looked at her and saw she understood, but spoke anyway. “This is where Gallifrey used to be.”

Her eyes brimmed with tears as she stared out into the empty space, the stars that were growing there her focus. This was not right, almost. She wished his home was still here, that she could have it in her. She tried not to cry, because he’d probably done enough of that, but he turned to her and watched her fight it.

“My mother was human.”

She turned to face him, and she could see the shadows that space managed to cast across his face. “She what?”

“She was human,” he replied, “Just like you. I had a lot of the human sucked out of me, really, but I’m eleven percent human. I’m more like you than other Time Lords would be. I don’t think that’s what lets me love you, though,” he said thoughtfully. “I want to share more with you, Rose, to not close off or hide myself, like I hid from you in my last body. That was because I was so afraid of loving you, of what loving you would do to me. But it doesn’t make me worse, it makes me better, and I want to be a better man for you. I want to take you home to your mother so we can get married and I want to have children with you and I want to make sure that you can live longer, I can do that Rose, the TARDIS is full of tech, if you want it.”

He turned towards her and took her other hand so he held both in his. “I want to love you like a Time Lord was never supposed to love. I want your life to be an extension of mine, to become the man that you fell in love with again.”

She furrowed her brows at that. “You have always been the man I fell in love with,” she said softly, “Your face changed, but your mind didn’t. I have to say, though, that the leather coat is definitely still a good look.”

He smiled at her, looking very pleased with himself. “I love you,” he said.

“I love you too,” she replied honestly, letting him see any emotion that echoed in her eyes. Because, oh, how she loved this man, how he meant more to her than anything else in the world ever could.

  
He sat down and tugged her with him, their legs dangling out of the TARDIS. She rested her head on his shoulder and they told each other stories about their childhoods for hours. But since he was finally opening up, Rose made sure he was doing most of the talking as they gazed out into the abyss that had once been his home.


	6. Chapter 6

Soon enough, the Doctor brought Rose back to London so that she could plan their wedding with her mother. He knew she didn’t want to admit it, but she was practically bouncing with excitement at the prospect. The smile didn’t leave her face and he wondered when he should set about getting an engagement ring. The thought was sudden and he startled himself with it, but she would expect it. And even if she wasn’t, it was something that he wanted to give to her. She did, in a way, deserve it.

Beyond that, though, was the urge to make sure the other people in London knew exactly who she belonged to. That in itself felt petty, but the Doctor had admitted to himself that he was not above that.

Jackie met them right outside the TARDIS door, her face alarmed and looking all around like she was the most stressed woman in the world. She pulled Rose up to the flat, chatting the whole way, not letting Rose get a word in edgewise. She shrugged at the Doctor over her shoulder and he sighed, putting his hands in his pockets and following at a leisurely pace.

“Now, Rose, it’s nearly November, November, do you know how close your wedding is>”

Her heart skipped a beat at the very thought. “It’s two months, then.”

“Less than!” It appeared that Jackie was void of all rational thought. “I have plenty of work for you to do, I’ve done all the things I can do myself, but, Rose, you don’t even have a dress!”

“There might be one in the TARDIS,” Rose suggested.

Jackie looked up at her slowly and as she was giving her daughter the death glare the Doctor entered and then turned right back around, leaving the two women along again. Rose sighed. He really was no help when it mattered most.

“You will not. Be wearing. Some grungy old thing from the back of that alien’s time ship!” Jackie screeched, “I’ve booked you an appointment at the dress salon, we’ll go tomorrow.”

“We can’t afford that,” Rose protested.

“Your fiance can,” Jackie replied, arching a brow. Rose blushed. She had to admit that her mother was right; the Doctor did, technically, have a lot of money and used it on her more than she was really willing to say. But he would pay for her wedding dress, even if she didn’t want him to.

Well. It wasn’t that she didn’t want him to, but she didn’t want him to feel forced, and that was the most difficult thing of all. She blew out her cheeks and looked to her mum again. “Okay, I’ll ask him tonight. What else do we have to start on?”

The Doctor had been meandering around the city for quite some time when he finally stumbled across a jeweler. He went in and looked around for someone to help him. The man behind the glass counter furrowed his brows and the Doctor realized that he probably looked very frantic.

“Can I help you, sir?” The man asked tentatively, as though he were defusing a bomb.

“Yes!” The Doctor said excitedly, and rushed over to the counter. “I’m looking to purchase an engagement ring.”

The man relaxed. “Oh, of course! They all have that look on their faces, the men when they’re getting the ring.” He smile, “What’s her name?”

“Rose.”

“Would you consider a rose gold band for the ring or would that be a little bit on the nose for her?” The man asked, already digging out keys to shuffle around under the glass in the case.

“She might like it,” the Doctor replied.

“Alright, sir, and what is your budget?”

“Money is no object.”

The jeweler looked up at him, a look of obvious surprise on his face. The Doctor lifted a shoulder and did not back down.

“Not when it comes to her, it’s no object.”

“I’m sure she will appreciate that gesture, sir. How long have you known each other?” the man said as he was picking out options for the Doctor to look over.

The Doctor answered without even hesitating, “Two years. Technically, this will be our… Second Christmas.”

“That’s lovely,” the man gushed, and pulled out what appeared to be a padded tray with rings and different diamonds displayed in them. “You seem like a very creative man, I thought perhaps you would want to custom design her ring?”

“Oh, that’s brilliant!” The Doctor agreed, grinning. “Yes, of course.”

The bands were rose gold, and the Doctor couldn’t quite stop thinking about how they would look against Rose’s skin. He decided that any color would look good on her, even if he was a bit bias, and it was a separation from traditional gold. Because if anything, they were untraditional.

The diamonds ranged from ‘just barely visible’ to ‘you’re shouting, could you quiet your ring down, please?’ and finding something that met in the middle proved to be a challenge for him. It worried him, that he wouldn’t find the perfect one, but finally after an hour of looking over and discussing rings, the jeweler held up a hand.

“What size is her finger? You know that, don’t you?”

“Her finger? Six and a half,” he said, not sure when he had recorded that information, only that he had and it was now going to live in his mind forever. The jeweler smiled and held up a finger, signaling for the Doctor to wait, and disappeared into the back room,

It was about then that the Doctor began to fidget. He wanted everything to be perfect, since he had mucked up so many times throughout the course of their relationship. This was one thing that needed to be done right, and nothing was going to stop him. He clenched and unclenched his fists, trying to get the shaking to stop and wondering when he had become some sickeningly nervous and anxious. She was Rose, and he loved her. But that was why things made him nervous. He was so eager to please her, to love her properly, to be the man she deserved.

He was broken out of his thoughts by the jeweler approaching, a delicate black ring box in his hand.

"This is a custom ring that we carry in every size.  I just thought you might like to have a look at it," he said, setting the box in front of the Doctor. 

He picked it up and looked at the man carefully, wondering if he was trying to con him somehow. He opened the box and realized almost immediately that this was not a con.  

The Doctor, being a man, did not know many things about rings.  What he did know, however, was that this was one of the most beautiful pieces of jewelry that he had ever seen before.  The band was rose gold, the only requirement he had even decided on, and it had what looked like little diamonds littering it, making it shine shockingly bright.  The diamond was of average size, princess cut, and he could only think of Rose when he looked at it.

He nodded, resisting the urge to touch the thing.  "How much?"

"2259 pounds," the man replied, stepping back as though waiting for the Doctor to spring out the door and never be seen again. 

Much to his surprise, the Doctor had meant it when he said that there was no limit.  He nodded slightly again.  "I'll take it," he said, handing the box back so he could package it up.  Though the salesman was surprised, he wasn't about to question it.

"The little gems are cubic zirconia," the salesman said, "But the diamond in the middle is real."

"I doubt Rose is going to ask me which ones are real and which ones aren't," the Doctor admitted carefully.  

"Alright, then, I'll wrap this for you."

****

Rose stood from the table after she had been planning for ages and cracked her neck.  Jackie winced.  

"Where's the Doctor?" Rose asked finally, looking about from her flower and cake catalogs.  As if in answer to her question, the Doctor burst through the door. 

"Hi," he said breathlessly.  "What's for dinner?"

"Take away, we've been a little busy.  What do you want?" Jackie asked.  

"Chips," Rose said, emphatically.  "Is that okay with everyone?"  She added it as an afterthought, and the Doctor was willing to bet that she hadn't eaten all day. 

"I'll run down and get it, need to stretch my legs, me," Jackie said, walking to the door.  "Don't cause any trouble here, you got it?"

"Yes, ma'am," The Doctor said sarcastically.  To Rose's surprise, Jackie only rolled her eyes and didn't try to slap the Doctor or beat him within an inch of his life. 

"I have a surprise for you," The Doctor said, turning to Rose the second the door closed behind her mother. 

She blinked at him, surprised.  "What brought that on?" 

"It's something that I should've given you months ago," He said softly, and led her to the couch.  He gestured for her to sit but didn't sit next to her.  She glanced up at him and cocked her eyebrow.  

"You're acting funny," she said finally, when he didn't say anything for a few moments.  

"I am not," he fished around in his pockets for a few moments and pulled out a white box.  He pulled it open and there was a small black box inside.  He got down on one knee in front of her.  "You should've gotten this ages ago," he opened the black box and inside was the most beautiful ring Rose had ever seen.

She put her hand to her mouth on a sigh.  "Oh, Doctor, it's beautiful."  She said softly.

"I wanted to do it when your mum wasn't around, didn't' know when I'd have the chance," he admitted.  "So I wanted to ask you properly to marry me."

She giggled.  "I've been planning our wedding all afternoon," she said. 

"Yes, well, I do still expect an answer," he said, smiling at her. 

"Of course.  Well in that case, yes," she said, grinning at him, as he was eye level with her where he was kneeling in front of her.  

He held out his hand for hers and wiggled his fingers.  She laughed and put her hand in his.  He removed the ring from the box and slid it onto her finger.  He stared at it in shock for so long that she thought maybe something was wrong with him.  

"I love you," she whispered, her heart soaring, just because she could say it.  It was the most important thing that she was saying to the most important man in her universe, and nothing could be better. 

He looked up, broken from his reverie by her voice.  "I love _you,"_ he said, leaning up to kiss her. She cupped his cheeks in her hands, the ring a pleasant weight on her finger. His hands landed on her hips and she didn't really know how he was holding himself up, but she wasn't about to complain.  She felt like she was in the middle of the fairytale, and the Doctor was the only thing keeping her there.  

She never thought it was possible to love one someone this much.  She pulled away slowly and he smiled at her mischievously, kissing across her jaw and down to her neck before latching onto the skin there. 

"Mum will come back," she said as he climbed on top of her.  He somehow ended up over top of her on the couch, kissing her deeply again.  She couldn't bear to stop him but she also knew that she had to. She pushed at his chest and he dropped closer to her.  She giggled against his mouth and smacked his chest, pulling away for air.  As he descended on her neck again, she looked at the ring and furrowed her brows. 

"How much did this cost you?" She murmured.

He mumbled something but it wasn't anything she could make out, so she just repeated her question.  He pulled back onto his haunches on the couch and held his hand out for her.  He pulled her up to a sitting position and cupped her cheek in his hand. 

"I said, you're worth it."

She let it drop then, sensing he didn't want to say, and thanked him again.  He seemed to preen at that and they settled in for dinner when Jackie returned, both of them wondering when they had gotten so lucky.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it guys! The final chapter! I loved writing fluffy tenrose and hope you guys liked reading it <3
> 
> This just in i received a piece of art based on a One Shot I wrote when I was exclusively on Wattpad, and so if any of you feel your muse kick you in the stomach with a fic feel free to send it to my tumblr I always feature art! 
> 
> Enjoy the last chapter!!

The day finally came, after ages and ages of planning.  December Third.  It had seemed on the way that it would never come. The Doctor thought that because he had to spend so much time with Jackie and so his touching with Rose was limited, and that pushed him to the brink.

It was only the day before their wedding that he had to admit there was only one person he wanted as his best man, and Rose didn't even know he was still alive.  When he told her, her face lit up into a huge smile and she nodded emphatically.  The Doctor could only breathe out a sigh or relief, happy that she agreed with his decision.  She only begged him to please be back in time for the wedding.

He was, for the first time in what felt like eons, on time.  He was dressed in his tuxedo (not the one of doom, he'd bought a different one for this occasion.  She was too special to wear a used tuxedo for).  Jack Harkness chatted up the Powell family, telling them how the Doctor was from 'far away' and so some of the rituals in the service would be a bit different.  

Sarah Jane and her son sat beaming on the groom's side of the church, the same church Jackie and Pete had been married in, and they had brought plenty of their friends to compensate for the Doctor's lack of guests.  As The Doctor was preparing for Rose to come walking up the aisle towards him, he found himself growing antsy and walked to Sarah Jane, who stood when she saw him approach.

"I never thought you were the marrying type," she teased him, her eyes sparkling with the light he had always so adored. 

He laughed, a tight, tense laugh, as he was still incredibly nervous, and lifted a shoulder.  "I never thought I would be either," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "She's different."

"I know."

The Doctor looked at her, surprised. "What do you mean you know?"

She rolled her eyes. "Doctor, I could see it the second I met her.  She was jealous and I was jealous, but she had more of a right to be?  You adore her with every part of your being."  She smiled even wider and the Doctor thought that her jaw would break.  "She deserves that happiness, and so do you.  I'm so very happy that both of you have found it."

The Doctor smiled and leaned down to give Sarah Jane a hug.  She patted his back affectionately, but it was different now. The way that a relationship grows and changes.  She was older now, was somehow his equal, thought not in the way Rose was. Never in the way Rose was. But once upon a time, Sarah Jane had been the most important person in his life, and he would still do anything to protect her.  

Jack whistled and patted his leg for the Doctor to come back to the alter and he rolled his eyes before walking up to his friend, the church full of guests chuckling softly at this strange man's antics. 

Jimmy Stone had bothered to make an appearance, as Jackie had invited him out of spite.  He had a girl with him who looked like she had been... Persuaded to attend as his date. The whole thing made the Doctor feel very smug.  He had really won the lottery, after all, when it came to Rose. 

"I'm so happy for you," jack said, slapping the Doctor on the back.  "I'm also glad you decided to come and fetch me."

The Doctor grimaced. "Me too.  Rose was really quite excited to find that you weren't dead."

"I'm quite excited to see her again. And, it has to be said that there is not anything like seeing a girl on her wedding day. They say that's when she's her most radiant."

"She's always radiant," the Doctor quipped without even sparing it a thought.  His mouth really did get away from him sometimes. 

Jack beamed. "Isn't she just."

The wedding march started, and Rose's bridesmaids and maid of honor walked up the aisle.  Shireen, and Keisha (who the Doctor knew, they saved her brother once upon a time) and a couple other girls that the Doctor hadn't even known existed. 

Rose appeared at the back of the church then, and the Doctor felt his hearts clench in his chest.  She looked absolutely stunning. She wore a ballgown, one that was perhaps a bit too long for her, and he wondered if she had heels on.  It glittered in a way that was nothing compared to the shine of her smile.  She had a tiny tiara attached to the crown of her head, from which a veil spilled over her bare shoulders, just brushing the sweetheart neckline of her dress.  

Her hair was more done up than he had ever seen it, two tendril curls framing her face with the rest in an elaborate updo that he already had visions of removing, pin by pin. 

Jackie escorted her, with Howard on the other side, and the Doctor felt comforted with the fact that Rose still technically had a father figure, even though it wasn't her father.  She looked so _happy._ He loved her more than words, Gallifreyan or English, could ever express. 

The pastor stood behind them and Rose reached for the Doctor's hand. He took it and helped her up the step to the altar, lifting her skirt for her.  A chorus of breathy 'oh's and 'aw's came from the crowd and anyone who hadn't even made a sound had to agree.  He only had eyes for her. 

She nearly tripped over her skirt but just barely managed it.  "Hi," she whispered, beaming up at him.

"Hello." He said back.  "Alright?"

She beamed. "More than."

Jackie and Howard stepped back, and the pastor asked the classic 'Who gives this woman' question.  Why the focus was on her mother, Rose kicked the Doctor gently under her dress.  He cocked his eyebrows at her and she pulled up her skirt just slightly so he could see light blue Converse shoes under the layers of her dress.  He let out a huff of laughter to find her still smiling at him through her veil.  

The service, the Earth part of it anyway, went very quickly, and the Doctor's hearts pounded almost painfully in his chest, knowing the matched Rose's, when a red cloth was pulled from somewhere by the pastor.

"The Doctor is from a place where hand fasting is common place, and has requested that he and Rose honor this tradition," the pastor announced.  "Please take each other's right hands."

Rose and the Doctor adjusted so that they were holding each other's right hands, her pink fingernails standing out against the light tone of his skin.  The pastor began to wrap their hands together, and the Doctor was impressed to find that every fold and curve was being done correctly.  He then spoke.

"Rose Marion Tyler, of the Powell Estate, accepts John Smith, the Doctor, of the county Gallifrey, as her husband for all of eternity. Is this so?"

"Yes," Rose said, biting her lip as they referenced the 'county' Gallifrey that she and the Doctor had made up so no one would be suspicious.  The Doctor winked at her in reply. 

The pastor continued, "And John Smith, the Doctor, of the county Gallifrey, accepts Rose Marion Tyler, of the Powell Estate, as his wife for all eternity.  Is this so?"

"Yes," the Doctor replied, his voice strong and echoing through the church. He had never been more certain of anything in his entire nine hundred some years of life.  Oh, yes, this was the start of his biggest adventure yet.  And quite possibly the best. 

"The two of you are bonded in a way that no one will ever understand. Your minds connect like none.  The joining of the hand symbolizes the joining of lives.  You are to be together for all eternity as husband in wife, running and walking together. Wherever one goes, the other will follow.  If one falls, the other will pick them up.  Affirm with your own vows that this is so."

The pastor read the words off a paper, but it still made the Doctor excited to think that a dead tradition was perhaps not so dead. 

Rose spoke first, as was the custom. "I am not prone to listening to you," she said, and a light tittering laughter from the women filled the church for a minute. She smiled warmly at him before speaking again.  "But I wanna be the best that I can be for you, because I believe you deserve that kind of love, just like I do.  I never want to stop running, but only if I'm running with you.  My vows are to trust you with every part of me, to love you better than anyone else could, and to listen to you.  You are my everything, and really, you have been since I met you.  I want to stay with you forever, my Doctor."

A sniffling broke through the silence and the Doctor glanced over to see that Jackie was crying.  He looked back to Rose, her eyes now softer and full of sincerity.  He took a deep breath and spoke.

"When I met you, I knew you were easily the most special woman I had ever met," he began earnestly, his voice only wavering slightly.  "But you have shown me that you are even better than that. You'll always come back to me, even if I start to think that you're too good for me, which you are, by the way, so I don't know why you agreed to this," the crowd laughed again at that, "But I love you for it.  And i love you for many other things.  And I will continue to love you until the Earth explodes."

Her breath hitched at the hint, the reference, sending her back to when the world ended. She bit her lip and nodded, and he finished the final promise, possessive and linking their minds together, though those in the audience would never know. 

"My Rose," he finished softly, but just loud enough to be heard by all. 

"With that, I now pronounce you bound and man and wife," the pastor removed the red cloth from their hands and set it in a decorative box for them to take home later.  Their rings were slipped on with little ceremony, as that was hardly the important part. "You may now kiss the bride."

The Doctor grinned wolfishly at her, making her laugh, and he threw the veil up over her head, over that dainty little crown, because she was his princess, of course, and cupped her cheek with one hand, his other settling on her waist.  He leaned down and kissed her softly as her arms reached up around his shoulders, holding him close.  When they broke apart, it was to a standing ovation of all their guests.  Rose laughed and buried her face, red with embarrassment, into his chest.

*****

Later that night, they danced their first dance in the reception hall. 

"Jimmy Stone looks bloody miserable," she giggled, looking right up into his eyes.

The Doctor sniffed. "Well, I would expect so.  After all, I won."

"You git."

"Your git, though."

"Yeah," she agreed happily, and he kissed her again, letting it deepen only slightly before pulling away and then hugging her closer in their slow dance, his chin resting on her shoulder.  He hummed to the music and she giggled again, pressing a light kiss to his ear.

"Happy?" She asked. 

"Extraordinarily," he told her, giving her a happy twirl.  

"I love you," she said bluntly. 

"Well, I would certainly hope so," he replied, and kissed her on the forehead.  "I love you too, my Rose."

Jack danced with Rose too, much to the Doctor's irritation, but the man had promised to keep things PG rated at the most and Rose was having so much that the Doctor couldn't be bothered to say anything about it.  Although, he did have to promise to take Jack back with them when they returned from their official honeymoon.

When Jimmy Stone asked Rose to dance, she said, with a twinkle in her eye, that she was well taken care of, and the man stormed off in a huff.

****  
And even later that night, he combed his fingers through her hair, removing the complicated updo he had dreamed about taking out just a few hours precious. Her eyes had fluttered shut at his gentle ministrations, and he leaned down to kiss her shoulder.  She tilted her head and he took that as permission to kiss up her neck to her pulse point.

"You look beautiful," he said against her skin. "And you look beautiful when we watch movies in our pajamas, "You are the most beautiful woman in the world."

She blushed and turned to capture his lips in a kiss before murmuring, "You're okay."

He laughed and pulled her up to the head of the bed, bracing himself over her.  "Just okay?"

She wrinkled her nose and pinched his side.  "Maybe a little bit foxy."

And for once, for _once_ in his life, and for Rose, for the only time, because this is the thing that needs only happen once:

They lived happily ever after.


End file.
